My thanks go out to Marcia Yerman for this article that emerged from our conversation about my book, The Citizen Leader, and the everyday application of its many ideas in families and in the community.
Posted on The Huffington Post on April 4, 2012, Ms. Yerman begins:
As the 2012 election fills the news cycle with a mixture of information and noise, many people will tune in and some will opt out. Crucial issues will be debated and discussed. One of them will be clean air. How best to connect with the average voter?
I recently picked up a book by Peter Alduino called, The Citizen Leader. Alduino’s biography describes him as having twenty years of experience in the field of leadership development, personal growth, and executive coaching. The book, which is a mixture of insights, guiding exercises, and work tools—embraces key points about “active leadership.” Alduino’s “core belief” is that we are “co-creators of the world we live in,” thereby contributing to the character of the society around us.
Alduino describes the process of constructing community as being “engaged, participating, and proactive.” The building blocks of this endeavor include principles, personal integrity, and engaging others to create a better social order.
I couldn’t help thinking about the set of environmental activists that I have been connected with for a year. The Moms Clean Air Force are parents—predominately mothers. “Creating action, through shared values,” as Alduino says, has galvanized this demographic to support and build a safe planet for the next generation.